Temperature studies of Fe−Mn nodules

Sea nodules were extensively studied over a wide range of temperature ranging from 77K to 1175K using Mossbauer effect and ESR. The Mossbauer studies of the nodules at 77K and room temperature show a quadrupole doublet whereas at higher temperatures magnetic spectra were obtained starting at around 875K which ultimately gives a hyperfine field of around 390 KOe at 1175 K. The Mossbauer spectra recorded at 30K did not show any significant change in the room temperature spectra. The analysis of the spectra upto 775K showed two positions of Fe^R+, vie., octahedral and tetrahedral which were varified by ESR of the diluted samples.     

Determination of arsenic, selenium, and antimony in cloud water by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

The capability of inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry in determining trace levels of As, Se, and Sb in cloud water was evaluated. Preliminary studies focused on identifying and eliminating potential interferences in the cloud water matrix, the choice of appropriate internal standards, and system optimization. The detection limits for As, Se, and Sb were 20, 100, 20 pg/mL using pneumatic nebulization, and 5, 25, 5 pg/mL, respectively, using ultrasonic nebulization with a precision of better than 5% RSD. The accuracy was demonstrated by the analysis of a NIST commercial reference material, SRM 1643d. In all cases, the results from ICP-MS analysis agreed within 4% of the certified values. Comparative analysis of cloud water samples obtained from a site downwind from large pollution sources (Whiteface Mountain, New York) and Changlagali Pakistan, a rural mountain peak, was carried out by hydride generation atomic absorption (HGAA) spectrometry. There was excellent agreement between the ICP-MS and HGAA results. Received: 31 July 1997 / Revised: 28 October 1997 / Accepted: 31 October 1997     

Microwave assisted digestion of atmospheric aerosol samples followed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry determination of trace elements

A microwave digestion method in a closed vessel was developed for the determination of trace metals in atmospheric aerosols using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). A recovery study for the elements V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Cd, Sb, and Pb was conducted using multi-elemental standard solutions, NIST 1633b Trace Elements in Coal Fly Ash, and NIST 1648 Urban Particulate Matter. A simple digestion method using only HNO3/H2O2 gave good recoveries (90%-108%) for all elements except Cr in SRM 1648, but yielded low recoveries for SRM 1633b. A more robust method using HNO3/H2O2/HF/H3BO3 yielded higher recoveries (82%-103%) for the lighter elements (V-Zn) in SRM 1633b, and improved the Cr recovery in SRM 1648, but decreased the Se recovery in both SRMs. A comparative analysis of aerosol samples obtained at a remote mountain location Nathiagali, Pakistan (2.5 km above mean sea level), and Mayville, New York, downwind from the highly industrialized Midwestern United States, was carried out using Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA) for the elements Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Zn, As, Se, and Sb. The simple digestion method yielded excellent agreement for Cr, Fe, Zn, As, Se, and Sb, with slopes of the ICP-MS vs. INAA regressions of 0.90-1.00 and R2 values of 0.96-1.00. The regressions for Mn and Co had slopes of 0.82 and 0.84 with R2 values of 0.83 and 0.82, respectively. Addition of HF/H3BO3 did not improve the correlation for any of the elements and degraded the precision somewhat. The technique provides sensitivity and accuracy for trace elements in relatively small aerosol samples used in atmospheric chemistry studies related to SO2 oxidation in cloud droplets. The ability to determine concentrations of a very large number of elements from a single analysis will permit source apportionment of various trace pollutants and hence strategies to control the sources of air pollution. This is particularly important as the health effects of particulate matter are increasingly recognized.     

Benzyltriethylammonium Chloride - Zinc- Methanol: A Novel System for Selective Reduction of Aldehydes to Alcohols

A selective reduction of aldehydes to alcohols using benzyltriethy lammoniun chloride - zinc - Methanol System is done.     

Mg-FeCl3-DMF-H2O: An Inexpensive and Excellent System for Reduction of Aldehydes and Ketones

Aldehydes and ketones are reduced to correspondig alcohols in good yields at room temperature.     

A short and concise route to total synthesis of Dendrodolide L

A short and efficient method for the stereoselective synthesis of Dendrodolide L has been developed from inexpensive and commercially available starting material. This convergent synthesis utilizes Jacobsen kinetic resolution, regioselective ring-opening of epoxide and Yamaguchi macrolactonization as key steps.     

Characteristics of high energy interactions II. Production spectra of Gamma-rays in graphite

Twenty high energy nuclear interactions produced in the graphite units of an emulsion chamber were recorded. The emulsion chamber was exposed to cosmic rays at an atmospheric depth of 10 g cm⁻² for about 7 hr over Hyderabad, India. Fourteen interactions which radiated energyΣ E _r⩾1000 GeV in the form ofγ-rays were analysed in detail. The median energy 〈Σ E _r〉 of the interactions was 1600 GeV. Results concerning the multiplicity, the transverse and longitudinal momentum distributions, and the fractional energy distribution ofγ-rays in these interactions are presented. The average transverse momentum ofπ ⁰—mesons <pt _π ⁰> is found to increase very slowly with the primary energyE ₀ and it can be approximated by the function <pt _π ⁰>=0·238E ₀ ^0.06 .     

Characteristics of high energy interactions I. High energy gamma-ray spectra near the top of the atmosphere

An emulsion chamber was used to study the characteristics of high energy nuclear interactions from the production spectra ofγ-rays. The emulsion chamber, which comprised of two parts, namely the detector and the graphite producer unit, was exposed to cosmic rays for about 7 hr at an atmospheric depth of 10 g cm⁻² at Hyderabad (geomagnetic latitude 7·6°N). 720 electromagnetic cascades due toγ-rays were recorded in the detector. These cascades were classified into three groups; (a)γ-rays from nuclear interactions in the detector (b)γ-rays from nuclear interactions in the producer unit and (c)γ-rays of atmospheric origin. The energies of the cascades were determined using photometric method. The spectra ofγ-rays from groups (a) and (c) were determined and compared with similar spectra obtained at greater atmospheric depths. The spectra were found to obey a power law. The spectrum ofγ-rays of atmospheric origin was found to steepen at high energies,E _r>2200 GeV.     

Microwave‐assisted synthesis,characterization, biotoxicity and antispermatogenic activity of some antimony(III) complexes with N∩O and N∩S donor ligands

New series of phenylantimony chloride and antimony chloride with Schiff base ligands, L¹H and L²H having N^∩S and N^∩O donor systems were synthesized under microwave irradiation using a domestic microwave oven. The reaction time was brought down from hours to a few seconds with improved yield as compared with conventional heating. All the ligands and their antimony(III) derivatives were characterized on the basis of microanalysis, elemental analyses, molecular weight determinations and spectral studies including IR, NMR (¹H and ¹³C) and electronic spectral studies. A distorted trigonal bipyramidal and pseudo‐octahedral geometry around the antimony atom was tentatively proposed for these derivatives. The compounds were screened in vitro against bacteria and fungi to test their antimicrobial property and in vivo in male albino rats to test their antifertility properties. The treatment with the ligands and their phenylantimony derivatives at dose levels of 20 mg per rat per day did not cause any significant change in body weight, but a significant reduction in the weights of reproductive organs was observed. Arrest of spermatogenesis was noted at various stages with production of primary spermatocytes (preleptotene and pachytene), secondary spermatocytes and step‐19 spermatids found to be decreased. Biochemical parameters of tissues, i.e. protein, sialic acid, cholesterol content of testes and seminal vesicular fructose also showed significant reduction. Further, the serum testosterone concentrations were also decreased after treatment with ligands and their antimony(III) derivatives. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Enhanced coupling of subterahertz radiation with semiconductor periodic slot arrays

In this work, a theoretical study of the coupling of TM polarized subterahertz (THz) radiation with periodic semiconductor rectangular slot arrays was conducted, using InSb as an example. Simulation results showed that the structure with 4-12 microm thickness provides over a 20-30-fold increase in the electric field at slot edges in a nanosize region ( approximately 500 nm). The enhancement of the THz electromagnetic field extends across the slots and reaches peak values at the edges due to discontinuity effects. Because of the strong local electromagnetic field enhancement, the structure can potentially be used for the development of novel biophotonic sensors, leading to improved detection sensitivity.